The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1887-02-01

WgY did All Fat commit suicide?
Do the authorities know? If they do,
certainly the public do not. But we
doubt whether the authorities really
do know, inasmuch as they have taken
no trouble to find out; any more than
they have taken the trouble to try to
find out the circumstances which led
to half dozen different sudden deaths
by violence or otherwise, which have
occurred during the last four or five
years. When a man is found dead
the Marshal usually calls in physi
clan who certifes as to the actual
cause of death. Thus he certifies that
the man was drowned, or he died of
strangulation, or what not, and then
comes the usual formula San inquest
was deemed unnecessary"
The law unfortunately allows
loophole for this slackness, but it is a
loophole that no conscientious man
should avail himself of. When an
inquest is not held upon the body
of a person who has met with vio
lent death, distinct wrong is done,
and as we shall show later, the wrong
is done sometimes to innocent people.
Section $40 of the Compiled Laws
says:
Section 319. As soon as any coroner shall
have notice of the death of any person, within
his jurisdiction, supposed to have come to such
death by poisoning, violence or in any suspi-
cious manner, be shall forthwith Issue his
summons to six good and lawful men, etc.
This is mandatory and We're it not
for Section 329 we should have an in
quest upon every sudden death; for
every sudden death is suspicious until
it is proved that it took place from
natural causes. Section 329 provides
that:
Section 500 When any coroner shall take
an inquest upon the dead body of stranger,
or being called for that purpose, shall not
think it. necessary on view of such body, that
any inquest should be taken, he shall cause
the body TO be decently buried.
1T is on this Section that the Mar
shall OF whoever acts as coroner relies
when she deems an inquest unnec-
cessary." A loophole is given, but to
us it seems as if the definition as to
what is to constitute necessary" for
taking an inquest is given in the first
Section quoted, viz: the coroner shall
issue summons to inquire into the
death of a person "suPposed to come By
such death by poisoning. Ui0EeRcs or in any
suspicious manner"
So much for the law as it stands.
Now for a few facts As far as mem
DRY serves us, early in 1881 a man was
found in Beretania street with his
ribs broken: the man was unconscious
and died. Rumor was that the man
had been knocked down by wagon.
The Deputy Marshal made some pri-
vate inquiries. and decided not to hold
an inquest. 1t still remains an open
question how that man came by his
death. The public inquiry at an in
quest would have set the matter at
rest. The coroner was satisfied that
the man had his ribs broken.
When the fire occurred in the Hotel
cottage and J. Tilden was so fatally
injured that he died in a few days in
horrible agony, no public inquiry was
made. The coroner was satisfied that
Tilden died from burns. And yet
there were many things that wanted
clearing up. Tilden,s door was locked.
Who had locked it 2 Had it been
locked from the outside or the inside I?
There was distinct responsibility to
be laid on some one, perhaps. A pub
lie inquiry would have thrown much
light on the matter No inquiry was
made
Some months ago a Chinaman was
found drowned at Waialua. The cor
oner was satisfied that the man was
drowned. No necessity for an inquest.
Man was dead. Yet the inquiry should
have brought forth whether the man
had any enemies, who was the last
! person seen in his company and so
forth.
At Kohala, during the first week in
November, 1856, the body OF China
man was found hanging close to the
Government road. It was supposed"
that the man had died from opium
smoking and that his countrymen had
hung the body up to get rid of it. No
inquest and as far as we know, no